Shaping the Future of Higher Education: Navigating New Perspectives and Policies

1. New Government Perspectives, Policies, Initiatives – Higher Education - Dr. Latha Pillai, Adviser, NAAC

2. “The University is no longer a quiet place to teach and do scholarly work at a measured pace and to contemplate the universe as in centuries past. It is a big, complex, demanding, competitive business requiring large-scale ongoing investment.” - Malcolm Skilbeck

3. Present Scenario - India • Long tradition, but it remains trapped in Victorian origins. • Grown exponentially. • Growth masks the issue of education quality. • Universities no longer remain the sole producers of knowledge • Rigid boundaries of universities are disappearing – multiple sites of knowledge production. • Mandate of universities is moving from traditional role of transmitting knowledge to also providing skilled labour.

4. Education in the 21st Century • What will it mean to be educated in the 21st century? • What kind of educational environment must we provide to support a 21st century education? • What will be the societal role in higher education in the 21st century and who will decide? • How do central and state policies and their priorities shape the contemporary university?

5. Setting the agenda for reform • NKC (2006) and Committee to advise on Renovation and Rejuvenation of Higher Education (2009) • NKC - expansion, access and inclusion • Presently regulatory mechanisms are inhibiting • Multiple bodies with overlapping jurisdiction • Yashpal Committee – “idea of a university needs to be restored and rediscovered” • To be treated as an integrated whole – no silos of professional/vocation/general

6. The Higher Education and Research Bill, 2011(Introduced in RS) Seeks to establish the National Commission for Higher Education and Research (NCHER) to facilitate determination and maintenance of standards of higher education and research in all areas except agricultural education.

7. Objectives of NCHER • Determination, co-ordination and maintenance of standards in all fields of higher education • Evolve a balanced growth of higher education sector • Ensure autonomy of universities • Promote academic collaboration with universities • Spearhead continuous reforms in higher education and research • Ensure good governance through transparency • Devise mechanisms for social audit processes and public feedback on its performance

8. NCHER • Accountability – through stringent information disclosure norms • finances • physical assets • faculty status • admission criteria • curriculum • accreditation status • Autonomy – free from controls of government and “for profit” agencies

9. Salient recommendations • Preparation and maintenance of National Directory of Academics for Leadership Positions • Collegium – an independent body of NCHER to advise • To do a world wide search and prepare list of persons to head institutions • An independent Board for Research Promotion and Innovation - design and execute research in higher education institutions to enhance global competitiveness • Setting up of Higher Education Financial Services Corporation – disburse funds according to norms set by NCHER • Intent to separate the regulatory functions from funding

10. NCHER • Report directly to Parliament and President • Submits annual reports and President appoints a Review Commission every five years • Insulate from political interference – accountability to people is ensured • Avoid micromanaging from Delhi • Perform its regulatory function without interfering with academic freedom and institutional autonomy

11. HEC • Every state should have a Higher Education Council (HEC), which should be in constant dialogue with NCHER • HEC oversee that both state and central universities grow up on equal footing • Insulate the institutions from government and outside interference

12. RUSA • Mission mode to achieve 25% GER • Upgradation of autonomous colleges with CPE and A grade – University level • Evening universities / evening colleges • Integrated programs in universities – 4 year • Enhance intake capacity of existing institutions • College cluster universities regionally

13. The National Accreditation Regulatory Authority for Higher Educational Institutions Bill, 2010(Introduced in LS) • Mandatory accreditation through professional accreditation agencies • Recognise agencies to do a verification of disclosure and provide an assessment report • Multiple accreditation agencies – to encourage globally competitive standards • Accreditation of programs and courses in addition to institutions • To monitor the work of accreditation agencies • Agency – non profit organization recognized as a Company under Sec 25 of Companies Act or Society or Trust • Inspection based approval move from verification and authentication system

14. Functions of NARAHEI • Laying down the norms for assessment of academic quality • Undertaking matters of conflict of interest • Disclosure of information • Levy of fees and advising central and state governments on related matters of improvement of academic quality • Develop methodologies for accreditation

15. Private participation • 4/5th enrollments in professional higher education and 1/3rd in higher education are in the private sector • ‘Not-for-profit’ – to be reexamined to ensure quality without losing focus on expansion and equity • deserving private institutions – access to public funds through loans, financial aid for students and competitive funding for research

16. Public private partnership • PPP could be explored in the following formats: • Private Financing Initiative • Modified voucher system for below poverty line students belonging to SC/ST. • Charter colleges • Outcome based financing for sponsored students

17. National Knowledge Commission • “….. the possibility of having affiliated colleges which can be remodeled as community colleges. • Provide both vocational education through two-year courses and formal education through three-year courses. • Promote job-oriented, work-related, skill-based and life-coping education. • A unique opportunity to provide holistic education and eligibility for employment to the disadvantaged”. (Reference: National Knowledge Commission Note on Higher Education, 29th November 2006).

18. CommunityColleges • Two year post-secondary institutions which offer Associate of Arts, Science, Commerce, Applied Arts and Certificate/Diploma Programmes. • Internationally also known as ‘technical colleges’, ‘junior colleges’, ‘fachhochschulea’ or folk-high schools ‘workers-colleges’ and ‘short-cycle institutions’. • U.K.: Foundation Degree Programmes since 2001.

19. Why an alternate system? • Serve all segments of society through an open-access admissions policy. • To serve as a community-based institution of higher education. • Teaching focussed on skill development. • Provision for vertical mobility. • Lifelong learning to have an educated workforce.

20. Prohibition of Unfair Practices (2010)(Introduced in LS) Objectives • To identify and penalize malpractices in higher education delivery and management • Dishonest practices include wrong declaration of facts and exploitation of students • Donations • capitation fees • not giving receipts for payment • publishing false or misleading advertisements • withholding degree to compel a student to pay a fee

21. Salient features • Mandatory to maintain records of selection • Prospectus to be published atleast 60 days prior to commencement of admission • Contents of the process defined • Monetary penalties for violations • Failure to pay the penalty – liable to imprisonment upto three years or a fine or both • Burden of proof on the institution to counter any allegation

22. Educational Tribunal Bill (2010)(Passed by LS) • To set up separate educational tribunals in different states and at the national level • Expeditious settlements by removing such disputes from regular Courts • Evolution of a new jurisprudence supportive of efficiency and quality improvement in the educational sector • National tribunal – appellate jurisdiction on orders of state tribunals • Non compliance of tribunal orders – imprisonment for three years or fine upto ten lakhs or both • Bill bars the jurisdiction of Civil Courts – matters that state or national educational tribunal is empowered to determine

23. The Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operations) Bill, 2010(Introduced in LS) • Any institution established outside India offering educational services for a minimum of 20 years • Proposes to offer courses to be taught through classroom teaching • Excludes distance education even through partnership or twinning arrangements • Central government on recommendations of UGC must notify – as a foreign education provider • Programme of study offered – to conform standards laid down by the statutory authority concerned • Quality of curriculum, teaching learning process, should be comparable to the main campus

24. Salient features • Mandatory conditions maintain a corpus fund of minimum of 50 crores • 75% of any income generated to be utilized for developing an institution in India • Misleading advertisements – fine from 10-50 lakhs • Central government – exemption clause based on the advise of the advisory board

25. The Universities for Research and Innovation Bill, 2012(Introduced in LS) • Central government to set up Universities for Research and Innovation through notifications • Hubs of education, research and innovation, also establish campuses in foreign countries. • Autonomy in matters such as awarding degrees and diplomas, appointing teaching and research faculty and determining fees to be paid by students and salary to be paid to the faculty. • Not-for-profit legal entity - surplus generated to be reinvested • Each university shall maintain a University Endowment Fund • Board of Governors, an Academic Board and a Research Council • Initial review within 15 years, subsequent reviews shall be after every 10 years

26. Research and Innovation Universities Meta University • 2nd generation university – free from physical boundary – able to live and operate in virtual space • Aimed at collaborative and multidisciplinary learning • Initially Masters of Mathematics Education

27. Cluster Innovation Centres • To be set up in university and act as a consultative agency to create linkage between various stakeholders in the cluster Activities • Entrepreneurship promotion • IP portfolio management • Technology transfer and communication • Collaboration with industry • Training and mentoring • Innovation awareness and outreach • University innovation strategy and roadmap

28. NKN • Key ingredients are resource-sharing, data-sharing and consultations. • state-of-the art multi-gigabit pan-India network for providing a unified high speed network backbone for all knowledge related institutions • enable scientists, researchers and students from different backgrounds and diverse geographies to work closely for advancing human development in critical and emerging areas • NMEICT – bridge the digital divide • NPTEL to make high quality learning material available to students of engineering institutions across the country

29. Others • National Translation Mission • Language Development • National Mission on Teachers • National Testing Service • National Library and Information Services (NLIST) • Subscription to INDEST – e-resources for universities • Design Innovation Centre • Regional Centres of Educational Management • National Qualifications Framework

30. Reflections • Access – where have we failed? • New degree colleges – 374 EBD • Construction of infrastructure – is it possible to pool or cluster? • Academic reforms – still discussing credit system, CIA • Frameworks for “world class” or “innovation” • Norms of regulatory bodies – thwart innovation • Faculty shortage • Inadequate response to PPP • Commercialization • Outcome based research financing • Liberal research grants for both social sciences and basic science • Policy – implementation huge gap